The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) has awarded a 2023 Pacemaker Award to Envision, Andrews University’s student-produced magazine. Envision was distinguished in the category of feature/general audience magazines produced by four-year colleges and universities. The award, designated by the judges of the ACP, recognizes national excellence in collegiate journalism.

With content sourced fully from Andrews University students, the magazine's production was multifaceted. The department of Visual Art, Communication & Design (VACD) and the department of English collaborated on the 2023 issue. Daniel Weber, chair of the VACD and managing editor of the winning issue, explained that his team included Diane Myers, associate professor of graphic design; David Sherwin, assistant professor of photography; and Scott Moncrieff, professor of English, who helped coordinate and curate the content that their students created.

The magazine competed among 27 Pacemaker Award finalists. Andrews was considered against publications by California Baptist University, Brigham Young University-Hawaii, Drake University, University of Oregon, Texas A&M University, Syracuse University and Oregon State University. According to Weber, the ACP evaluates the writing, design, illustrative works and overall publication when determining which entries are worthy of nomination and awards.

When asked about what the award signifies to him and the VACD department, Weber shared, “This award celebrates the creativity of our students … and the dedication and the hard work of our faculty, who guide the students through this process. It’s a wonderful example of what collaborative efforts can be like in education. It also serves as a promotion of the type of students that are at Andrews University and the quality of their work. We’re very proud of that.”

Sherwin, the photo editor of the magazine, shared his enthusiasm about Envision’s recognition. Having worked as an editor on every issue in the publication’s history, he hopes that the team will continue to “produce a great magazine” and distinguish itself among colleges in the United States. Moncrieff, who helped edit his ENGL 115 students’ written work for the magazine, mentioned the significance of this award for Andrews University and its students. “It’s very nice to have a high-quality collaborative magazine to showcase the excellent work of students in writing, photography, and design. It’s [a] great learning experience for the students, and it gives them something valuable for their portfolios.”

Elizabeth Dovich, senior communication major, is one of the many students who were able to build their portfolios and professional experience by writing for Envision. As a part of the Advanced Media Writing class that she took her junior year, Dovich wrote two stories that were featured in the 2023 issue. She viewed her writing not just as a simple class assignment but as an enjoyable collaborative effort. Dovich stated, “One of my favorite memories from working on Envision was collaborating with Abigail Cancel, the graphic designer for my article ‘Math in Motion’ … to create a design that would help the reader visualize the concept I presented.” Dovich expressed that she learned a lot from writing for Envision and working with other specialists, and she was “grateful for the experience.” 

This is the third Pacemaker award that Envision has received from the ACP in the publication’s 13-year history. The magazine last received a Pacemaker award in 2018. Weber shared that the department is very happy about Envision’s current standing as a publication piece, recruitment tool and student portfolio builder. The VACD hopes to continue providing consistency and quality in their annual issues. To read Envision’s award-winning issue and previous editions, please visit issuu.com/envisionmagazine.

— Andrew Francis is an Andrews University Communication student writer.